Remote Control

Gr 10 Up—A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that American children spend an average of 40 hours a week watching some type of media, typically television or video games. Parents, educators, medical practitioners, and sociologists continue to express alarm at the ramifications of such sedentary and withdrawn activities on youngsters' development. This to-the-point documentary explores the role of electronic diversion by comparing two families—one family is exposed to a minimum of media, while the other family's life revolves around it. The interviewers have selected families from two widely divergent socio-economic groups, which seems to somewhat taint their study. The family which expends vast amounts of time playing video games and watching TV is a racial minority without a father present living in what appears to be an inner-city neighborhood. The two-parent Caucasian family with a minimal exposure to media resides in a suburban home with a huge yard for outside activities. Nevertheless, the film's thesis is well-illustrated as it exposes how the overuse of media displaces more interactive pursuits as it consumes vast amounts of time, stifles creativity, promotes obesity, and limits family contact. The family interviews are interspersed with expert commentary on both the short- and long-term effects of overexposure to media. English-language subtitles and a five-part scene selection are optional, increasing this timely program's usability in both classroom and individual research settings.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL